On 8 December 1941 (local time), Patani became the
landing site for
forward elements of 42 Regiment, 5th Division, 25 Army for the invasion
of Malaya.
Brought in by a force of two transports
and three cargo ships
escorted by eight destroyers,
these forces seized the local airfield, then rapidly advanced
across the border. This dislocated British
plans for a forward
defense of northern Malaya, which presupposed a preemptive move by
British forces across the Malaya-Thai border to a good defensive
position known as The Ledge (Operation MATADOR). When advance
British
elements finally attempted to cross the border, they were fired on
by Thai border guards.